RISE OF FASCISM AND

NAZISM AND THE SECOND

WORLD WAR

Nazism and the Rise of Hitler: An

Introduction

The Second World War was the most

destructive event of modern times and the

first time when nuclear weapons were

used. The warring countries were divided

into two military alliances—the allied

powers and the axis powers. The allied

powers were led by the United States, the

United Kingdom and France. The axis

powers were led by Germany, Italy and

Japan.

Germany was the reason for conflict led by

Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist

German Workers’ Party or the Nazi Party.

Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany

from 1933 to 1945. During his

government, Germany was called as Nazi

Germany.

Nazi Germany followed the ideology

called Nazism or National Socialism that

promoted violent practices to restore

German pride. In September 1939, to

conquer more land and resources for

Germany, Hitler invaded Poland, sparking

off world war two.

In the end of World War in 1945, the

Allied Powers demanded justice from the

defeated Axis Powers, especially

Germany. A Tribunal was set up in the

German city of Nuremberg to prosecute

Nazi leaders. Nazi Germany’s efforts to

eliminate the Jews and other communities

are referred to as genocidal crimes. The

term Genocide was coined in 1944 to

describe the act of destroying a community

based on nationalism, racism, religion or

ethnicity.

At the Nuremberg Trials Hitler and his

Nazi government were accused of

committing genocide against Jews. Hitler

was not tried at Nuremberg because he

committed suicide a month before world

war two ended.

The genocide committed by Nazi Germany

between 1933 and 1945 is referred to as

the Holocaust.

Italy and Fascism

Italy during the war

In the First world war Italy joined the

Anglo-French alliance against Germany

and other allies. Italy had always wanted to

unite the Italian speaking provinces of

Europe and hoped that after the war it

would be rewarded for supporting them.

Italy after the war

After the war the Treaty of Versailles

offered very little to componsate for all the

distruction and lossess Italy had suffered

due to the war. Italy felt deeply hurt

and angered and realised that it had been

cheated. Italy received only two islands in

the Adriatic and Aegean seas.

Italy suffered due to the heavy deaths and

resession and rising unemployment.The

people Italy started voicing their

displeasure at the situation. Farmers,

workers and the unemploy people joined

hands to organise strikes all over the

country. This led to the growth of an

extreme nationalism called Fascism in

Italy.

Meaning of Fascism.

The word fascism originated from the

Latin word 'Fascio'. Fascio means a bundle

of sticks, it was the royal symbol of the

Roman emperors of the ancient times and

significant strength of unity.

Mussolini

Banito Mussolini, eastablished the Fascist

party in 1919 at Milan. He started his

career as a journalist and became Prime

Minister of Italy.Members of this party

were called Black shirts because of their

uniform.

Features of Fascism

• The Member of Fascism were opposed

to democracy, socialism and liberalism.

• They believed in having a powerful

dictator with unlimited power.

• The three main principles of them were

state worship, Leader worship, and War

worship.

Mussolini - Prime Minister

Banito Mussolini, promised to bring back

the lost glory of the Roman empire to Italy

after the first world war. When Italian

communists called a strike Mussolini

prevented the strike and presented himself

as a protectoe of law and order. Due to this

King Victor Emmanuel III Offered the

Prime Minister post to Mussolini.

Welfare measures of Mussolini

• He contructed hospitals, roads and

bridges.

• Some progress was made Industries

and agriculture.

• Brought a Labour court to improve

relations between capitalists and

labour.

Domestic policy of Mussolini

• Who opposed fascism were open to

suspician.

• Right to freedom of Speech was

restricted.

• Compulsary military and censored

press

• Recognised the pope as the sovereign

head of the Vatican.

Foreign Policy of Mussolini

• Mussolini compelled Greece to pay

compensation.

• He declared war on Abyssinia in 1935.

• Captured Ethiopia.

• Established colonies in East africa and

Libya.

Mussolini wanted to make Italy great,

respected and feared. When he declared

war on Abyssinia League of Nations stated

Italy as an aggressive country. Imposed

economic sanctions but Mussolini

diregarded these sanctions and occupied

Abyssinia. He also joined hands with

Germany , which finally led to the second

world war.

Living in the Weimar Republic

The years 1918 and 1919 were a

significant period in German history

marking important events like the German

revolution of 1918, defeat in world war

one, abdication of Emperor Wilhelm and

the birth of the Weimar republic.

The Weimar Republic, established in 1919,

replaced the imperial government and

formed a parliament called the Reichstag.

The Weimar signed a peace treaty of

Versailles which made things very difficult

for the budding republic making them

struggle to meet the terms. Socialists,

Catholics and Democrats who supported

the republic were ridiculed and called the

November criminals.

Infighting began between different

political groups most popular being the

Spartacist League – a group of radical

socialists. The Weimar Republic crushed

the Spartacist uprising with the help of a

group of war veterans called the Free

Corps. The dejected Sparatacist league

then formed the Communist Party of

Germany. The Weimar Republic faced an

economic crisis in 1923 when they were

unable to pay the war damages. To combat

the situation, the Weimar printed extra

currency notes. This resulted in

hyperinflation causing a fall in the value of

the German Mark.

The Americans aided Germany through the

Dawes plan but the support was withdrawn

in 1929 when the Wall Street Exchange

crashed.

On 24 October 1929, referred to as Black

Thursday, 13 million shares were sold at

the Wall Street Exchange.

The world had entered the Great

Depression in 1929 and as Germany was

dependent on US money it was severely hit

with this economic crisis. In 1933, the

Weimar Republic finally collapsed paving

the way for Hitler’s Nazi Party to take

control of Germany.

Hitler Rises to Power

Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in an

Austrian village and was raised by an over

protective mother and a disciplinarian

father.

He wanted to be a painter and enrolled in

the German army in 1913 and won medals

for his bravery in WWI. Germany after

WWI elected a new Government called the

Weimar Republic and signed the Versailles

Peace Treaty in 1919. Many Germans,

especially war heroes like Hitler were

upset with this. Citizens and heroes

became anti-government.

In 1919 Hitler got selected as the German

Workers' Party leader owing to his

excellent oratory skills, his devotion to

German pride and his growing anti-Jewish

sentiments two years later.

Hitler renamed the German Worker’s

Party, as the National Socialist German

Workers Party and used different

propaganda to reach out to the German

people. Hitler’s powerful speeches and

grand rallies were reinforced through

colourful posters and flyers. The waving

red flags further added to the aggressive

energy of Nazi parades.

When Hitler got arrested after a failed

coup to take over the Weimar in 1923, he

wrote his famous autobiography “Mein

Kampf” or my struggle.

In the 1930 and 1932 election the Nazi

Party got a majority of the seats in the

Reichstag. The Weimar Republic fell and

was replaced with Hitler’s Third Reich

government. On 30th January 1933 Adolf

Hitler was appointed chancellor of

Germany.

Destruction of Democracy and

reconstruction

On 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler was

appointed Chancellor of Germany by

President Hindenburg. His Nazi

government, called the Third Reich

implemented many undemocratic policies

like The Reichstag Fire Decree, The

Enabling Act, the Gestapo and the

Concentration Camps.

Communist leaders that opposed him were

forcibly arrested and imprisoned and made

to work free for the government. The

Enabling Act was passed on 23rd March

1933 which gave Hitler the power to pass

laws without consulting the Reichstag.

Nazi appointed secret state police called

the Gestapo which roamed the streets.

They were supported by the Shield

Squadron, an intelligence service and

paramilitary stormtroopers. The

extermination camps were purely meant

for killing prisoners that were unable to

work or undesirable to the Nazis.

In 1934, after President Hindenburg’s

death, Hitler combined the offices of the

President and Chancellor and became the

sole leader of Germany.

Advising Hitler on economic growth was

Dr Hjalmar and Schacht Germany’s

Minister of Economics used innovative

policies, to reduce the economic deficit by

creating new trade agreements with South-

east Europe. He started building highways

called Autobahns Volkswagen to become a

symbol of the German worker’s newfound

prosperity.

With the success of Volkswagen factory,

the German economy became the quickest,

among all world economies, to recover

from the Great Depression. In order to

spread his military might, Hitler ordered

32,000 soldiers to reoccupy the Rhineland

on 7th March 1936.

After Hitler annexed Czechoslovakia and

Austria, he invaded Poland in September

1939, sparking off World War Two. To

gain support, Germany entered the

Tripartite Pact or Three Power Pact in

September 1940 with Italy and Japan, This

agreement established the Axis Powers in

World War Two. Initially Germany was

winning the war but it invaded the Soviet

Union on 22nd June 1941 it was pushed

back by 1945 all the way to Berlin. Japan

meanwhile on December 1941, attacked

the US base at Pearl Harbor, forcing the

United States to enter World War Two.

The Americans dropped nuclear atomic

bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—on

6th an 9th august 1945.

Hitler’s efforts to restructure Germany

ended the world war in May 1945. His

determination to revive the German

economy was ultimately based on anti-

democratic go-to-war ideologies.

Nazi Policies and Practices

Hitler was voted to power based on his

ideology called Nazism. The partly was

influenced by Darwin’s and Spencer’s

theory and promised to restore economic

prosperity, global leadership and German

pride. Hitler believed that people existed

in a racial hierarchy and that pure Nordic

Aryans were the purest race.

He eliminated everyone who was not a

racially pure Nordic Aryan German and

created a pure German racial state.

However, Jews were one of the biggest

groups he targeted. The persecution of the

Jews was an act of genocide from 1933 to

1945 which is referred to as the Holocaust.

The persecution and genocide were carried

out in three stages. Stage 1 was called

Exclusion.

Between 1933 and 1939 Nazi German

shops, restaurants and political rallies

freely distributed anti-Semitic propaganda

to ensure that Jewish business and services

were boycotted and their properties were

confiscated or sold off. Hitler withdrew all

the Civil rights of the Jews.

Stage 2 was called Ghettoisation. From

1940 to 1944, Jews were forced to live in

Jew-only ghettos in the general

government area, which comprised

German-occupied parts of Poland. In other

words, they were made to live in

unhygienic conditions and isolated

communities.

Stage 3 was called Annihilation. Prisoners

were brought the concentration and

extermination camp which had gas

chambers where people were drenched

with cyanide pellets. Auschwitz, Poland

was the biggest Nazi concentration and

extermination camp. On 19th May 1943,

Germany was declared clean of Jews.

The Second World War

Causes of the Second World

War

The Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaties left the defeated

countries humiliated. The people of these

countries were joblesss, hunger, poor,

homesless and suffered for many years.

Europe great economic depression people

lost faith in their governments.This made

dictators come to power and these dictators

aimed at bringing back their glory.

Germany was humiliated.

German aggression

Germans felt hurt , angered and humiliated

by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Germany was forced to reduce its military.

Germany borrowed heavily from other

countries followed by inflation and

umemployment. People blamed the leaders

of Weimar republic.

Hitler sent Jews to concentration camps,

where most of them dead by deliberate

extermination in gas chambers and

shooting, or through starvation

and overwork. Hitler occupied Rhine land

that has been demilitarized by the Treaty

of versailles.

Italian Aggression

Banito Mussolini, promised to bring back

the lost glory of the Roman empire to Italy

after the first world war.He wanted to

make Italy great, respected and feared.

When he declared war on Abyssinia

League of Nations stated Italy as an

aggressive country. Mussolini disregarded

the economic sanctions UNO and occupied

Abyssinia.

He also joined hands with Germany ,

which finally led to the second world war.

Mussolini compelled Greece to pay

compensation.He declared war on

Abyssinia in 1935. He Captured Ethiopia

and Established colonies in East africa and

Libya.

Failure of League of Nations

The rise of dictator ships frustrated all

attempts to maintain peace. The Japanese

invasion of Manchuria openly challenged

the League's authority. The permanent

members always opposed decisions which

went against their own intersts. The

League of Nations lacked universal

representation and it had no internal

Army.

Rise of Fascism

The Members of Fascism were opposed to

democracy, socialism and liberalism.

They believed in having a powerful

dictator with unlimited power. The three

main principles of them were state

worship, Leader worship, and War

worship.

Immediate cause

Danzig, had been made a free city-state

under Polish influence guaranteed by the

League of Nations. The Nazi government

made efforts to establish friendly relations

with Poland. Hitler demanded the port of

Danzig from Poland. Poland refused,

fearing losing de facto access to the sea.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1,

1939.

Failure of League of Nations

The League of Nations

To avoid repetition of a disaster like the

First World War an international body was

created. The League nations was an

organisation formed after the First World

war to maintain peace and security in the

world. The League formed to provide a

forum for resolving international disputes.

The League of Nations was an

international organization, headquartered

in Geneva, as Switzerland was a neutral

country and had not fought in the First

World War. The League of Nations was

formed in 1919. This was the first

organisation to be set in an international

level.

Many countries of the world jouned

believing that this oraginisation that work

for mutual compromise among nations. It

was a great task for league of nations to

maintain peace and security in the world.

44 countries from all over the world had

signed a covenant to establish this

organisation. It failed du e to inherent

defects.

Causes of Failure

• Great powers are not in its members.

The United stated was not a member at

all. Germany joined in 1925.Russia was

allowed entry in 1934.

• Britain was given praiority over other

countries. The permanent members

always opposed decisions which went

against their own intersts.

• Countries defeated in the first word war

were burdened with large debts.

• Defeated countries left with some

armies. Some territories of the defeated

countries were taken away.

• Countries like Japan and italy on the

side of victorious in the war were also

unhappy with their share of the war

spoils.

• The League of Nations lacked universal

representation and it had no internal

Army.

• Economic instability is also another

reason for failure of League.

Wars of Aggression

The rise of dictator ships frustrated all

attempts to maintain peace. The Japanese

invasion of Manchuria openly challenged

its authority which encouraged Mussolini

and Hitler.

Locarno Pact

Member countries started signing pacts

which would benifit them. Britain, France ,

Belgium, Germany and italy signed a pact

called Locarno pact. According to this

France, Belgium and Germany agreed that

they do not wage war with one other.

Britain and Italy agreed to support the

attacked countryies.

Militarisation of Japan

Many years ago Japan was having caste

system. The people were divided into

different castes they are high and low.

• The high class consisted of

Samurai, warriers.The shougun was

the head of the samurai class and ruled

in the name of the emperor. Shougun

were more powerfull than the emperor.

• The low class comprised common

traders.

The Meiji restoration

When the caste ended the period between

1867 and 1868, The Meiji restoration took

place. During this period the shogun and

samurai classes were desolved and modren

class less military force was emerged. This

was the begining of the modernisation and

the militarisation of Japan.

Militarisation

To defend the country a strong military is

needed. Developing and maintaining a

military is called militarisation. Due to

this militarisation Japan became an

important factor of World war II.

In 1864, Japanese tribe, Choushu was

defeated by the armies of

America, Britain, Holland and France.

This attack made Japan feel inferior to

them in military. To over come this Meiji

central government introduced several

military reforms to make Japan as strong

as the western powers.

In Japan feudal army was replaced by

National army . Military education was

made compulsary . Military academies

were opened along with the navy training

centre in Tokyo. Here discipline and sense

of nationliasm was inculcated among the

Japanese. The usage of modern weapons

also taught in the academies. Japanese

army was given access to railways,

telegraph and other facilities.

Japan's attitude resulted in two wars:

• The Sino-Japanese War -1894

• The Russo – Japanese War – 1904

Sino-Japanese War -1894

Korea was on the Japanese boarder which

had a weak government.Japan feared that

the European powers would established

control over Korea. So, Japan established

military instalation close to its boarders

because independence of Korea is

essential for Japan's security.

Japan suggested Korea to introduce

military reforms but Korea ignored due to

this Japan Attacked korea. Japan said to

other countries that they were doing it to

protect them selves.

China came to support Korea and declared

war on Japan and the war ended with a

treaty called Shimonoseki, Japan got some

of China's territory including some parts of

Manchria with this victory Japan was

considered as one of the great powes of

the world.

Russo-Japanese War -1904

Russians supported China in Sino-

Japanese war and in return Russia got the

Chinese portion of Manchuria. Japan

feared that it would be attacked by

Russia at any movement. This resulted

into the war of 1904, which ended with

the treaty of Portsmouth in 1905.

This victory made Japan gain a special

rights over Korea and Manchuria. After

these victories Japan slowly started

emerging as a military power and tried to

increase its territory. Japan aided the allies

in World War One as the war ended the

Japanese realised that they were not given

an equal share of the plunders as the

western nations but they won back the

whole of the Shatung region.Japan lost the

Shotung pennsula after the 1921

Washington Conference.

Growing militarisation made army

officials of Japan gain control over the

government. In 1931 Japan attacked and

occupied Manchuria. From 1937 Japan

started conquering main land of China. In

1940 it decided to join hands with

Germany and Italy in the Second World

War.

Advantages of Militarisation

It made the country an extremley powerful

nation.

Its attitude of balancing attack with

defence Japan became an important

participant in theSecond World War.

Disadvantages of Militarisation

Compulsary military education left hardly

any one to work in the fields and factories.

Shortagte of working hands resulted in to

child laboiur in farms and factories.

Growing militarisation destroyed Japan's

industries.

Effects of the Second World War

The Second World War brought economic,

social and political transformations.

The Allied force

The allied forces comprised Britain, US,

France, Russia and some other countries.

The Axis powers included Japan, Italy and

Germany. The Axis powers were defeated

by the Allied countries in the Second

World War.

Division of Germany

The aggressive states of Germany, Italy

and Japan were defeated in the second

World war. At the end of the Second

World War Germany was divided.

The federal Republic of Germany also

known as west Germany was administered

by UK, Franceand the US

The German Democractic

Republic known as East Germany

was administered by the Soviet Union.

Formation of United Nations

In 1945 the united nations charter was

drawn up by representatives of 50

countries at united nations conference in

San Francisco. The United Nations

Organization was set up in 1945 after the

Second World War to maintain peace

across the world. The UNO officially came

in to existence on 24th October 1945.

Economic Rehabilitation

Britain spent 2000 cores on the war and its

resources were almost exhausted. Most of

the countries involved in the war were

badly effected America and Russia were

the only countries who were not

completely ruined by the war. This made

them emerge into powerful nations with

two different ides of government and

economic policy.

Marshall Plan

It was formed by US Secretary George C

Marshall. Purpose of this was to fight out

poverty and economic crisis. The US

undertook the European Recovery

Program on a grand scale where as the east

European countries suffered to recover. It

was the economic counter part of the

Truman Doctrine.

The two Super Powers

After the Second world war Britain lost its

territories and lost its status as world

leader. The United States took part in the

war and rose to become a super power.

The Soviet Union also emerged as a super

power which helped to spread

communism.

The Cold War

The two super power with different ideas

of government led to a cold war between

them . The whole world except some

countries like India was divided into two

blocks. The cold war came to an end with

the Paris treaty when the Soviet Union

collapsed.

The Truman Doctrine

the US president Truman introduced a

doctrine. This is to render military, oral

and economic aid to countries threatened

by Communism. The US took up on the

responsibility of preventing the spread of

communism.

Technology

Research for nuclear energy and modern

techniques for peaceful purposes like

agriculture , medicine communications etc

became popular.

Colonies

After the Second world war many

European countries lost their colonies of

Africa and Asia as they were not having

sufficient resources to maintain them.

Role of the UN in Preserving World

Peace

The Second World War occurred due to

the failure of League of Nations. The

nations of the world wanted to form a

better international organization to prevent

future wars. As a result the United Nations

Organization was set up in 1945 to

maintain peace across the world.

Origin of United Nations

London Declaration

The representatives of Britain, Canada,

New Zealand, Australia and South Africa

met in London and proposed for the first

time to establish a world organization. This

is called as London Declaration.

Atlantic Charter

The US president, Franclin Roosevelt and

the British Prime Minister, Winston

Chuchill issued a declaration, called the

Atlantic charter. All nations who had

signed had to follow the principles of this

charter.

The Washinton Declaration

In 1942, met in Washinton and declared

United Nations. The term United Nations

was first used by the US

president Franclin D Roosevelt.

The Moscow Declaration

In 1943, The foreifn ministers of the USA ,

USSR Great Britain and China declared

the necessity of establishing an

international organisation as early as

posible. This declaration led to the

foundation of UN.

Dumbarton Oaks Conference

A plan was discussed abpout the formation

of an international oraganisation.

Dumberton Oaks proposals were discussed

again in a conferwance held at Yalta.

The United Nations organisation

In 1945 the united nations charter was

drawn up by representatives of 50

countries at united nations conference in

San Francisco. The United Nations

Organization was set up in 1945 after the

Second World War to maintain peace

across the world. The UNO officially came

in to existence on 24th October 1945. The

United Nations had its headquarters at

New York, USA.

Purpose

In the Preamble to the UN Charter the

objectives of United Nations are outlined.

The purposes are divided into four groups

they are :

• To maintain international peace and

security by suppressing the acts of

aggression.

• To develop friendly relations among

nations basing on the principal of equal

rights and self determination of people.

• To cooperate internationally by solving

inter national problems and promoting

respect for human rights and freedom.

• To be a center for harmonizing the

actions of nations in attaining disarm,

decolonize and develop.

Scientific and Technological Progress

There were many new inventions took

palce in 20th century. They were

the mobile phones, Television sets, Jet

plains and computer. This period of

inventions can be classified into

AtomicAge, Space Age, and Computer

Age.

Atomic Age:

Basing on Albert Einstein's theory of

energy matter and speed of light

formed the atomic age. Scientists found

splititing of atom, which generated

enomous amount of energy. This formed

the basis of the highly distructive atomoc

bombs. The disasteric effects of atomic

energy was clearly understood by the

incidents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The atom bombs dropped in this two

places caused the death of atleast two lakh

people and led to the total devastation of

two towns.Organisations of all over the

world realised the importance of use of

atomic energy limited only for peaceful

purposes.

Space Age

In 20th century the major

advancements were space studies. Many

countries developed satilites which could

orbit the earth. These are successfully used

to gather information about the

weather, water resources, oil resources

and natural calamities.

Space ships were launched to carry people

into space which made man to reach the

moon.

Disadvantages of Space study

Threat of international spying .

Important to be caucious of Star wars.

Space studies are meant for peace ful

purposes.

Computer Age

Computer was introduced first by Charles

Babej , which was extremely huge, slow

and could perform only few basic tasks

like addtion and substraction . At present

computers are very small in size and can

perform various tasks in fraction of

seconds . Computers are used in industries,

healthcare, railways and in operating

machinery like pains and space ships.